Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Join this first tweetchat to share tips and strategies for finding time to write, writing schedules, what to do about writer's block, and much more! It's a great chance to meet other La Trobe participants involved in the #LTUacwrimo challenge.

The second is on MONDAY 30 Nov, 10-11am.

The second tweetchat gives you the chance to share how you went during the challenge, things you've learned, and successes and obstacles you've had. It will also feature the announcement of the #LTUacwrimo photo competition winner!

If you've done tweetchats before: Drop the 2 tweetchat dates/times in your diary and we'll see you then!

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

The initiation of the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) Fellows society began like any other story of beginnings, with a range of random elements being brought together by engaging forces.

The LIMS Fellows grew from early informal brainstorming meetings to a full-fledged society with a formal constitution and over 50 members in less than a year.

The idea of a society was raised when a large group of LIMS-affiliated postdocs sat together and agreed that a group facilitating more inter-departmental and Institute communication and support was needed.

Strong research institutes are lifted by a central body of talented - often junior - benchside scientists, and an internal community that could initiate and foster this development was ideal.

A group of postdocs volunteered their own skills and experiences and a committee was formed.

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

When I started my PhD in 2013, my son had just turned four. It wasn’t easy for either of us to leave our home and move to a new country.

For me, it was like starting from scratch. I was so busy looking for the things that my son used to love back home. For him, it was like moving from one
planet to another. It was a totally new environment in terms of language, culture, and friends, one which I found difficult.

At that time, my son had just started speaking in my language, which is Bangla. Now, added to that, he had to learn how to communicate in English, which he
had never heard from his mum or dad back home. While he was struggling with his new-found life at the La Trobe Childcare Centre, I was grappling with
shaping my research questions. The emotional journey for both of us was huge. It almost became too much when, after three months, my husband left Melbourne
to start his postdoctoral fellowship in North America.

At that point, life seemed not as easy as I thought it would be! Childcare had changed from our home
experience of my son having fun to him having to listen to his care-givers in a different language and trying to adapt to an unfamiliar culture. At the end
of almost every day, my son complained about his experiences with his new care-givers. On our way back from childcare, both of us used to cry, without
knowing the way out or how to feel better about our new life here!

There's the inaugural RED writing retreat at the end of the month, the ever-popular 'Turbocharge your writing' sessions by Thinkwell, and a workshop by none other than The Thesis Whisperer, Dr Inger Mewburn.

It all kicks off in the first week of November with the first tweetchat, specially solicited writing and publishing posts at the RED Alert blog, 'Shut up and write' sessions, and fabulous competition launches. The #LTUacwrimo calendar of events and updates can be found here: 2015 Academic Writing Month

If you’ve taken part in Academic Writing Month before, you know the drill:

Get your reading done now, stock up on your favourite productivity rewards, and clear your diary as much as you can! November is for writing, and writing a lot!